CHAPTER TWO ACQUAINTANCES IN FLYING
"If I needed you,
Would you come to me?
Would you come to me, and ease out the pain?
If you needed me, I would come to you,
I would surf the seas and ease out the pain."
-----Julia Roberts in Step mom--------
"What?" asked Hermione, as she looked at Malfoy's extended hand as if it would suddenly shoot out blast-ended skrewt's puss.
"Look mudblood, it is very simple, either you stay here and fight off Crabbe, Goyle and the death eaters; or you come with me," said Draco nonchalantly.
"Come with you?" repeated Hermione incredulously "and how are you any better than them? How do I know that you are not leading me into an ambush… wait, Iknow that you are leading me into an ambush."
"Suit yourself Granger, I've got better things to do than explain my motives to a moronic mudblood," said Draco and then without so much as a backward look he suddenly soared out of the window.
She wasn't quite sure as to why she changed her mind at that moment. Maybe it had something to do with the fact, that at that precise moment, Crabbe yelled again from outside that the Death eaters were coming, or because at that precise moment the scream of a girl rent the air, or maybe because, at that precise moment, she did not have her wand and would have done anything for help. Whatever the reason, Hermione Granger found herself at that precise moment, running to the windowsill scrambling on to it and screaming out into the still night sky for Draco Malfoy to come back and take her with him.
So she did not exactly use those words, it was more like "Malfoy, wait." When he didn't reappear, she at once summarized that he had not heard her and had left her to her fate. As she stared out, she felt as if the darkness itself was drawing closer to her. It was a second later that she realized that it was Malfoy in his dark travelling cloak with such a smug smile that she dearly wished for her wand.
"Changed our mind, have we, Granger?"
"How do I get on?"
"With your legs,"
"Ha, ha. Get into the room and then let me climb on."
"Look Granger, I don't have time for mid air conversation. Either you get on or not,"
"I'm scared of heights."
"Oh, how interesting! Don't mind if I don't care."
She put a nimble foot on to the broom but she need not have bothered for the next second Malfoy had yanked her on to the broom.
"No-o-o-o-o," she screamed, her voice being carried away by the wind.
She clung to the broom in desperation, shutting her eyes to prevent herself from looking down; knowing from the slanting position of the broom that they were gaining altitude steadily. For the first time in her life, she was glad that Malfoy was behind her and the solid barrier prevented her from falling off the broom.
At last when she felt the ascend stop, she opened her eyes, a bad idea as they seem to be skimming close to a layer of clouds.
'What would Harry and Ron think if they saw me right now?'
She felt her whole being as if fall of the broom. She had forgotten them. They must still be in school fighting while she had run away. She had deserted them.
"Put me down in the school grounds," she said trying to make her voice sound as normal as possible. "I have to help Harry and Ron."
"Oh, how touching. Granger wants to help her already most probably dead boyfriends. Well you can jolly well let that thought go. I'll take you to were your parents live, leave you there and you can bloody well save "the boy who lived to be a pain in the neck" from there."
"I ……I can't go home." It was a barely audible whisper.
"What don't tell me, Miss Perfect Prefect doesn't know where she lives? I know a muggle hovel is no better than dirt but it surely must be somewhere on the map."
"Its not that," she said, softly not really caring that Malfoy had insulted her for the millionth time. "They've gone into hiding, Professor Dumbledore was of the opinion that …that Voldemort might try and attack them considering they are my parents."
"Aren't you famous?" he said contemptuously. "Do you know where they are?"he asked, already knowing her answer would be a no.
"No, I don't know" she said 'and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you.'
She was trying to figure out why he had helped her, maybe it was a well-set plan of Voldemort to get at Harry, but then why help her in the first place?
"Do you have any relatives?" his voice was almost hopeful
"No, not really, I do have distant relatives in Australia but…"She drifted off as she heard him curse and realized that he was not much interested in her relatives on a different continent in another hemisphere.
"Now what am I supposed to do with you?" he muttered when he had used all the swear words he knew twice over.
"I told you, set me down in the school grounds."
"Right, so that you get killed, I get caught and blamed for your death. I think not Granger."
"So you think that we…Hogwarts will win." She had said 'we' and then realized that she wasn't quite sure on which side Malfoy stood.
He did not answer her question and the abrupt silence did not heighten her mood.
"Malfoy?" She asked turning her head slightly to look at his face. He had a far off calculating look in his face, at least, that was the best that she could make out.
"Huh," he said, coming out of his reverie in the most ungraceful manner. He realized she had asked him something. He racked his brain to find what it was, and then decided he would just go with her last line.
"There is no way I am setting you down in the school grounds. Besides we have already left them behind." He said looking at the open country that was now and then visible beneath the clouds.
Looking at Hermione's open mouthed "that is not the question I asked" expression he realized that he had again missed her question.
"What? Granger, do you think I have time to listen to a…"
Hermione sighed as she heard him repeat the sentence for the second time that night. She dearly wished she had never ever called him back.
As if hearing her thoughts he said with what would have been concern in his voice,
"If you are not comfortable you can always get off," he offered "its just two thousand feet to the ground. I'm sure you will reach it in no time,"
As she heard Malfoy chuckling at his own joke she felt the feeling of despair sinking in to her heart.
A plan had been forming in Draco's head all the time Granger had been blabbering. If it worked, he knew it would further ensure his safety and reputation.
'It would almost take two days… one day for the fight to end…one day for things…. he would have to bear her for two days… god, help me' he thought.
She was shivering he suddenly realized as he felt her before him.
'Maybe …I should offer her my cloak, or…" he thought grinning to himself. He suddenly dipped the broom in a dive so that the cold air rushing into their faces increased tenfold.
As he heard Hermione's cry of alarm, he felt a great feeling of tranquillity and satisfaction dawn on him.
Two days…for two days he would just make her stay with him a living hell.
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked for what she felt was for the tenth time. She was quite sure that they had been flying for at least two hours and the cold had made her very numb and stiff. Draco's sudden dips and whims to go through clouds did not heighten her pleasure.
He seemed unaffected by the cold what with the thick travelling cloak he wore. He seemed quite at home with flying on a broom in the middle of the night and only took his hand off the broom to look at the compass in his watch once or twice. It was of the Comet make (same company which made the broomsticks), which along with the time also had a compass, which could be set to a particular destination. One wrong turn and it would glow red and Hermione had to admit that he seemed to have a good idea of where he was going.
"Where…" but she was interrupted as he suddenly swooped down again.
'Not again' she thought, clutching the broom, from the experience of the last twenty times or so. She had a good suspicion that he did it only to scare her but this time she realized that he was actually descending. All she could see was a wide expanse of a dark countryside and a dark huge structure that stood out. 'A building,' she realized.
"Guess what that it is?" Malfoy said suddenly, his voice near her ear making her jump in the eerie night.
Reflexively came the reply, "Since, you are bringing me here, it maybe a prison or maybe it's 'You Know Who's' place or it may even be the 'Order of the Evils' Hideout." The drop in the height was making her feel much safer about talking to Malfoy.
"Or maybe …"Draco said, his voice rather huffed up "it may just be my home."
"If it's your home then what's the difference between it and my guesses?" she asked, realizing the next second that she had gone above her "insulting Malfoy" limit when she was unceremoniously manhandled off the broom.
"Why did you bring me here?" Asked Hermione, running after Malfoy who was striding off towards the house.
"To torture you, remember" he said grinning sadistically at her.
She stopped at once and a look of such terror spread on her face that Draco felt sure that she would run off.
He strode back to where Granger was standing, grabbed her hand, and pulled her along as he started walking "for Merlin's sake, Granger, I was only joking, I have to pick up some supplies before we run for it."
" Run for it? Why would you run away?" She asked, as she stumbled after him.
"Look Granger," he said turning suddenly. Hermione, who had been following him rather blindly, walked straight into him.
"Look Granger, it's very simple. I don't want any part in the war, no part in it"
"So you aren't. … Don't want to be a Death eater?" she asked incredulously.
"No," he said, walking up a series of marble step that led to the front door. The house even in the darkness was rather beautiful. Hermione could dimly make out far-off statues, fountains and lanterns. But her mind was too confused to register it.
"So…so you are on the side of light."
He did not answer, until, they stood on the landing, before the massive front door, leading to the house. He then turned towards Hermione with a nasty smile and said, "I did not say I was on the side of light either, now did I? Granger"
With that, he yanked her into the house.
Hermione Granger found herself in a hall, which would make the Great Hall back at Hogwarts cower in comparison. The arched ceiling seemed so high that Hermione was quite sure a Quidditch pitch could easily fit in. The place was dimly lit with a light that came more from the walls than from the crystal chandeliers. There were large watercolours on the walls but it was too dark to make out the contents clearly.
She had never thought of how Malfoy's house would have looked like. But she had been used to, for the last six years, of thinking living quarters of Slytherins' as dark, cold and more or less uncomfortable. But this…it was safe to say that she was truly stunned by the place's magnificence.
Draco for all his haste could not stop himself from taking pride from Granger's apparent appreciation of his house.
"So…Granger, what do you think of the headquarters of the "Order Of Evil?" he asked looking at her eyes which were lapping in the room.
"It's beautiful," said Hermione.
The answer really shouldn't have surprised him after all it was the truth. Yet, not even in Veritaseum induced state, would he ever admit that anything of his enemies was remotely nice not even if it was paradise itself and to hear Granger, his sworn enemy, make such a frank observation was surprising to say the least.
"Come on, you've ogled enough my hall." He said pulling her hand, which he still held.
"Malfoy let go of my hand. I can walk well enough without you dragging me," she tried to pull her hand from his grasp without much success.
"There is nothing I would like to do better, than letting go of your filthy hand, Granger but my house like me does not like mudbloods. If a half-breed enters the house then the security spells go off, my presence might, however, prevent it. Now you wouldn't like missing half of that clever brain of yours, would you?"
"You should have left me outside" Hermione said, grumbling as he pulled her to the passageway that led out of the room.
"You ever heard of half breed catching wolves."
"Apparently not," he said looking at her surprise filled face.
"Now don't say a word," he said, whispering to her as they stood at the entrance that led to the passageway. "There are portraits in there, of my ancestors and they answer to the head of the house, my father. Most of them will be drooling in their sleep now and if you would keep your mouth shut and your head down hopefully they won't notice us.
Hermione for all of Malfoy's warnings looked with interest at his ancestors. The likeness was very obvious. Black and silver hair seemed to abound and pale skin seemed almost a norm. They were designed to look strict, disciplined but all were nodding off in their sleep.
An insane thought filled Hermione's head what if a Malfoy had red hair? Would he be disinherited?
Almost at once an image of Malfoy with red hair and freckles flashed through her mind and she almost giggled outright. Then she tried to hide her giggle and at last, succeeded in making a squeaky sort of noise, which made Malfoy turn to her with a look of such exasperation that she felt very much compelled to laugh out again.
Thankfully by then, Malfoy seemed to have reached where he wished to go and she entered another room, which simply took the cake from the other one.
It was, she saw, a series of rooms filled from top to bottom with books. For the first time in her life she actually envied Malfoy.
She would have liked to stand their gazing at what was surely heaven but Malfoy was already heading towards a painting of an Arabian horse. He reached out and stroked its hair and it reacted, by trotting off the canvas and leaving in its stead a gaping hole. For the uncountable time, that night, she was again manhandled and hauled up through the hole and found herself standing in a smelly damp passageway climbing high out of sight which put the whole house to shame. 'Gloss over dirt,' the thought applied, she realized both to the house and Malfoy.
Malfoy started moving up the steps and soon, Hermione lost count of the number of steps, she had climbed. Finally he pushed open a door and left Hermione blinking in the light of a spacious bedroom. 'Malfoy's' she suddenly realized as she saw the Slytherin colours.
Hermione watched as Malfoy went around the room de-transfiguring things. Vases, boots, other odds and ends seemed to turn into galleons, sickles, and other things of value. For Hermione, who had always thought "supplies" meant invisibility cloaks, marauder maps and books for learning counter spells, it was surprising new experience. It was the first time that she came close to completely comprehending the knowledge, to which Draco had been accustomed to all his life, that money meant power.
"Is this the way all Malfoy's store money?" she asked finally as she watched him stuff everything into an oversized bag.
Draco, though, very much pressed for time, nevertheless wanted to impress on Granger his brilliance. "No Granger, ever since I made my plan, I've been shifting the money from my account to safer places. My father can otherwise bind my account. This is basically a small amount of ready money which will last me until the rest filters in." he said, slinging the bag over his shoulders.
"Does your mother know?" she asked wondering as to why exactly he was running away.
For a second he did not answer. He, somehow, did not like her mentioning his mother, basically because he was trying to forget about it…her, himself.
"No Granger," he said, picking up the broom. "Unless dead people can hear their son's thoughts she does not know."
Hogwarts
"Stupefy," screamed Harry Potter, pointing his wand above the upturned table in the Great Hall. Ron, he could make out, was a few feet away him and was banishing people across the room and Ginny had a couple of death eaters fighting off the bat bogey hexes.
When the Death eaters had attacked he had known…known in that peculiar way of dreaming that it was going to happen. He had woken up Ron and they had meant to go warn Mc Gonagall as Professor Dumbledore had been away at the World Summit For Wizards (a pompous affair were Fudge had meant to explain how and why the presence of "You Know Who" had been for so long denied by the media and the Ministry. And why it was attributed to the delusional story of the boy who had lived.)
But no sooner, had they got out of the portrait hole than a band of Death eaters had attacked. At first, Harry had thought that they had come only for him but they struck out blindly, as if the object, they attacked, was not important. It soon became apparent, that they meant to cause maximum damage to Hogwarts itself, than to anyone else. The passageways filled with smoke as the Death eaters set fire to the ancient building. Harry did not exactly remember how he had ended up behind the table in the great hall flanked by Ron on one side and Luna on the other. Almost all the members of "Dumbledore's Army" were there and they seemed to be holding out rather well.
No sooner would any creature of the Dark Lord enter than the students would blast it into oblivion. At times, he thought he saw glimpses of other teachers but there was no trace of Professor Dumbledore.
"Harry?" it was Ron calling him. "Did you see Hermione?" his voice breathless with sheer exhaustion.
"I ….no, isn't she on the other side?" Harry asked; ducking as a spell narrowly missed the top of his head.
"Oh, okay! I thought I saw her near Ernie. So that means she is all right. Right?" a slight smile appeared on Ron's face. His voice was almost questioning trying to gain his friend's assurance in the matter of safety of Hermione.
The smile sickened Harry. It held hope, joy, and life, everything that he seemed to have lost.
"Yeah," he said wearily "she would be fine."
The house that Hermione stood before looked very much like the one before except it seemed a degree less impressive.
She remembered very little of the flight from Malfoy's house to this one, which stood in the middle of a wooded estate.
At first, she had been too shocked to speak. How? How had his mother died? What had happened? Somehow, somewhere she felt it had a connection with the way he was acting now. Not that he had turned into a guardian of good or anything but the fact that he did not want to be a Death eater… something must have happened. Maybe his father had something to do with her…
She had tried saying something along the lines of feeling sorry for his mother's death but he had laughed it off bitterly.
"Please Granger," he had said rolling the "please" with all his sarcasm "don't even try to pretend to be sympathetic. I understand that, that's what Gryffindor do, feel sorry for everyone but I don't need your pity."
"Besides," he had said thoughtfully, after a pause "I have never been able to understand why people say 'I am so sorry' when people die. Especially when the person does not know the deceased or the person they've saying it to, properly. How can you feel, Granger, sorry for my mother dying when you don't even know her? And if you are saying you are feeling sorry for me then it's even more laughable as whoever heard someone feeling sorry for your archenemy?"
She had not been able to answer him. Somehow his argument sounded right even if not completely true. The rest of the journey had lapsed into silence.
The sky was darker, it being only about an hour from dawn. She could only slightly make out the manor. Draco stepped forward and announced mockingly, "welcome to Ireland, welcome to Shawcross Hall."
Hogwarts
"Engorgio," "stupefy," "Kolum," spells after spell was heard throughout the Hall. The fire that the Death eaters had started seemed to have spread everywhere. Cries and shouts of people filled the air.
"It's no use," shouted Harry, suddenly, dropping his wand and putting his head in his hands. Ron, its no use."
"Don't say that Harry…. its not yet…" but Harry did not here the rest. He felt a drop of water on his head and then another. Drop after drop, started falling; their intensity increasing. Both the death eaters and the students looked up. Rain was falling from the overcast ceiling. The Death eaters had not expected stormy weather and the fire was not waterproof. Smoke filled the room as the fire was put out.
In amazement both Harry and Ron looked at each other and then at Neville who was staring open mouthed at the ceiling.
"Is that …supposed to happen?" asked Luna, looking down at her dripping pyjamas.
"Well, Miss Lovegood," a clear voice spoke making all four turn around in surprise. "The ceiling is not only ornamental, you know."
Standing three feet away with his wand drawn out was…
"Professor Dumbledore," whispered, Neville weakly.
Shawcross Hall
"Whose house is it?" Hermione asked, as they stepped inside.
"It's my mum's second least favourite aunt's house. The old coot died almost twenty years ago. My mum inherited it as all her aunt's children have rotted away in their graves. And as my mother is in the process of rotting away in her grave, it legally belongs to Me." he said, depositing the firebolt, rather carelessly, Hermione thought, on the living room carpet.
"So doesn't your father know about this place?"
"I don't think so. It's easy to forget such secluded properties, when you've got so many." he said, shrugging his shoulders.
Hermione could have sworn he was being arrogant but then again it was most probably the truth.
"So, no one lives here,"
"I do not have acquaintance with the million of insects and rats that infest this place, Granger."
"I mean for twenty years there have been no humans in this house other than us," asked Hermione, looking at the spotlessly clean corridor that they were walking through.
"Us? I do not see any humans here. Granger. As they are no mirrors, all I see is an ape with bushy hair."
Then looking at her exasperated expression, he answered to ward off, her string of questions. " No Granger, except me and my mother, no other human has been in this house, for twenty years." He said, opening a door. A fire burnt in the grate, the four-poster bed was newly laid out.
"Then how is this house so neat and how, Malfoy, will you explain the fire?" asked Hermione almost shouting in exasperation.
His trademark smirk infuriated her and she was almost compelled to strike out with her bare hands.
" Granger, what a shame. I should have expected it, I guess, what with you coming from the muggle world and having never gone to a proper wizarding house except your poor darling Ronnie's house. Still, I thought some schooling would have an effect on you but I guess not. Eh, Granger?" he said, his eyes alive with amusement.
"Just. Tell. Me," she said, talking through her clenched teeth punctuating each word.
" It's a self-serving house Granger. The house elves look after it. The house has some money in the bank which is used up for the house's maintenance."
"Oh," she said, feeling stupid. She mad a mental note that she would read about it the moment she got back to Hogwarts. 'Must be in the stupid housekeeping section,' she thought angrily.
"Right" he said, the slight laughter that had filled his eyes disappearing. "You can stay here, Granger. My room is down the hall. If you are in some kind of need, scream and I won't answer. Don't come anywhere near my room or I shall take great pleasure in strangling you," he said, smiling serenely
He turned to leave and Hermione found herself putting out her hand stop him.
"Wait I…. thank you" she said, removing her hand from his shoulder quickly "for you know…er back there."
An almost wolfish grin appeared on Malfoy's face. "You can save your thanks, Granger. You owe me and you will have to pay me back," he said stepping into the room making Hermione move a few feet away.
"How can I help you?"
"Granger, I hope you understand that I did not save your life out of the goodness of my heart, wherever it may be. Always remember Granger; I do not do anything, which does not have something of a profit for me. I saved your life to save my own skin. I'll set you down in two days time between your dotting friends and then you will tell all those good Ministry people how Draco Malfoy saved your life and has chosen the side of right. That done, I will be safe from being killed by any Auror. As for my father I can always run,"
"But how can you suppose the Ministry will believe me?"
Your Harry potters beast friend, what with the reappearance of "You Know Who" they are bound to believe you." He said as he turned to leave.
Don't you mean best?" shouted Hermione after him, as he made his way out of the room.
"Not really," he said, banging the door as he left.
Authors Note
If you have actually read through all that then I hope you don't mind the rambling of a poor deranged first time writer. First of all thank you all for reviewing!
I was so happy. I mean seriously happy! And yes a further 23 reviews would ensure my continuing happiness. (23rd happens to be my birthday, you see, not this month but anyway). It has been a very strange week with 2 important things happening.
1) Even though thought my marks in bio and physics were really low turns out I just slipped down by one rank
2) Lost in the inter school basketball game (my number is 6 and me being in sports is like Sahara being in artic.) Still I am happy that I wasn't the only reason why we lost. There were others involved too!
Right. Now that I have rambled for no reason at all, tell me what you think of what I wrote. Please do review and tell me. I am very glad that you guys think I kept Draco in character and I will try my best to continue doing so. He will not get mushy! But please do understand that basically he is out of character for thinking the way he is thinking and no the reason will not have anything to do with abuse or suddenly waking up realizing fantastic father was bad.
Also don't even ask why I chose Ireland as the setting of my story. I have never been to Ireland but I just like that place without any reason. It falls in the list of places I love without reason, which also includes Russia. Places I love with reason are Egypt, Rome, and Greece. Again Shawcross Hall, though, I know seems one of those names that you always chance about in books is the actual assembly hall of my school.
Kshetra
Ps :I know I included a lot of random information but like I said deranged first time author.
Ps: do review
